


mondays and thursdays.

by lydtograce



Category: BLACKPINK (Band), LOONA (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, F/F, Gyms, McDonald's, chaeyoung is a gym rat, do these two even know each other?, jinsoul works at mcdonalds, probably not but im writing this for the bp protection squad gc, this ship is called soulsé as the creator of the tag my word is law
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 12:19:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,746
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16872786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lydtograce/pseuds/lydtograce
Summary: in which jinsoul memorizing the gym rat girl's schedule definitely isn't creepy.it's not!





	mondays and thursdays.

**Author's Note:**

> yes this exists ur welcome ig

Jinsoul can't really decide whether building the new extension of the city gym right across the road from McDonald's was a stroke of genius advertisement, or pure stupidity - either way, she's glad such a planning has worked out this way. Due to it, if she leans a little left at the cash register, she can peer straight through the glass wall at the front of the fast food establishment and right into the gym; where the toned, lean runners and muscle trainers can coax her into feeling she's vastly overweight, and encourage her to cry into the bread buns they use for the Big Mac meals.  Not that this is why she's glad, of course.

No, she's glad because of the girl her (teenage, tiny, and terrifying) coworker, a spunky student by the name of Yeojin, has affectionately nicknamed 'Ariel' - a moniker gifted due to the head of bright red tresses she usually draws upwards into either a twin pair of braids that Yeojin coos at, or a messy bun atop her head that sets alight some kind of hot coal in the base of Jinsoul's stomach. She's not quite sure what it is about the look of the tendrils in disarray, falling across the tan of her countenance (and quite often, sticking close to the sheen of sweat decorating her brow), but it triggers a dryness in her throat and more often than not has her stare transfixed - exists. She exists and she frequents the gym. Jinsoul is glad.

In the least stalkeresque way possible, she's memorized this girl's schedule almost exactly (after all, she attends on Monday mornings and Thursday afternoons - there's little else for Jinsoul to do than stare at her through the windows!). She's got it committed to memory quite perfectly: on Monday morning, at exactly forty minutes past seven, she pulls up outside the gym - dropped off in a red Lamborghini... Rich girl? - waves goodbye to whoever is seated in the driver's seat (Jinsoul has only managed to catch glimpses of dirty blonde hair and a slender wrist), and saunters into the building. On Mondays, she arrives with a pink yoga mat tucked under her left arm, and spends the first half hour of her session constructing a do-it-yourself yoga routine; facing away from the window, and giving Jinsoul full glimpse of the letterings 'JUICY' across the butt of her leggings. Upon completion of this, she spends the next half hour on the treadmill. Her speed varies from a sprint to a saunter to a stroll, and thus the fast food worker theorizes she bases her gait on her mood, rather than timetabling it down perfectly. Following this hour and as a break, she downs an entire bottle of water, winks at the man who always seems to be on the bench press (maybe a blaze sparks in Jinsoul's gaze at that each Monday), and pulls her hair up into one of the two aforementioned hairstyles. Her hands always move quickly, and it's always fascinating to watch. Jinsoul's nearly been caught staring many a time whilst she ties her hair; once, she swears they made direct eye contact. Following this rest period, she repeats - half hour yoga routine, half hour run. Just as random, or just as scheduled. It's transfixing to watch her.

On Monday's, at exactly nine forty five, a sweaty and panting female glances both ways on the crossing, drags herself across the road that separates the gym and the McDonalds, and falls through the doors pleading for "Three Big Mac meals, please,". On Monday's, at exactly nine fifty, Jinsoul has the order ready - and slides the tray across towards the gym rat, gaze ducked and hidden from her's by the brim of her cap. A nine fifty, a thank you is spoken, and enjoy your meal responds, and 'Ariel' departs. Taking the tray with her every three weeks, and then running back in with a sheepish grin as she returns it to the countertop.

Yeojin mocks Jinsoul's knowledge of 'Ariel's' routine - claiming it creepy and obsessive, and perhaps the teen is right. But Jinsoul is bored, and the girl is pretty; what better to pass her time than pretty girl watching? Even if said pretty girl gives her ample opportunity to strike up a conversation; opportunities that leave the blonde with a dry throat and a shielded stare.

On Thursday afternoons, she walks to the gym. She arrives at any time between one in the afternoon and one thirty, and spends an entire two hours running. No break, no change in pace, no anything - she simply picks a treadmill, selects a speed, and then goes. Jinsoul has seen her jog out a solid sprint for the entirety of the two hours, and questioned how in the  _hell_ she was still alive. No way this girl was human - no way at all. Nobody was that fit, that pretty, and had that nice a voice. The top front-runners for her true identity were (Yeojin's suggestion of) Android, or (Jinsoul's own theory of) an alien that'd escaped a nearby government experimentation facility. 

On Thursday afternoons, no matter what time she'd sauntered into the gym, 'Ariel' pushes her way through the McDonald's doors at three thirty. She's slightly less sweaty than Mondays, and her hair always seems slightly damp - suggesting a quick shower.  On Thursdays, Yeojin serves her, and Jinsoul remains in the back - peeking over the surface of a deep frier to try and catch sight of her. She manages, and keeps her gaze on her until she strolls out, bag tucked beneath her arm; the younger worker isn't stupid enough to serve her on trays, the ever-logical child she was. However, the expression on her face when she realizes she'd accidentally taken a tray... That was one Jinsoul wasn't quite willing to say farewell to. 

From this spiel, one can tell that Jinsoul has the schedule of this 'Ariel' figure quite well committed and plotted - she'd agree (and so would Yeojin, she'd giggle and tease about such a fact all day long). It's taken her a while to remember all this; the gym was built, what, four months ago? That was twelve weeks of watching and observing, twenty four different sightings of the girl - that was forty eight hours of gym workouts and seventy two consumed Big Macs! And yet, alas, still the girl's name was a mystery. 

That was, until, a spanner is flung in the works of her carefully memorized routine. 

She turns up on Friday. 

It's late in the evening, and she has a red yoga mat tucked beneath her right arm, her 'JUICY' leggings are shunned in favour of a pair of shorts, hidden almost entirely by a long, billowing, white t-t-shirt about her torso. She looks wonderful, and Jinsoul chokes on her 'Welcome to McDonalds' when she catches sight of her wandering through the gym doors. Gaze craning, the blonde observes that it's six thirty pm, and notes that the girl appears to be with a friend - they're giggling together, and the unfamiliar blonde glances over her shoulder from time to time. Jinsoul swears they make eye contact.

The duo spends half an hour concocting a new yoga routine (are there  _that_ _many_ yoga positions? Jinsoul swears 'Ariel' has never repeated one in her entire archive of routines), before the friend tucks the red yoga mat beneath her left arm, and leads the two of them across the road.

They're heading into the McDonalds. _They're_   _heading into the McDonald's._ ** _They're heading into the McDonald's._**

Jinsoul's fingers are vaguely sweaty at the register, and her gaze ducks - despite this, she can  _feel_ the duo approach, hear the closeness of their breathing. One speaks, and it's not 'Ariel' - the fast food worker knows her voice by now. "I'll have a six chicken nugget meal, and my friend... Well... I think she wants _you-"_

_"Lisa!"_

Gaze lifting in time to see 'Ariel's' hand collide with her (cackling) friend's stomach, the blonde's eyebrow perks, "I can get the nuggets, but I'm not on the menu." Visage as red as her hair (a tidbit Jinsoul does find the slightest bit cute), the gym frequenter waves her hands, head shaking, "No... No... I'll take, I want... I want..." A sigh. Her next words are obviously hard, "I want your number. Please?" There's almost a puppy dog accent to her pouting gaze, and Jinsoul wants to kiss her nose and squeeze her hands as tightly as possible.

"My number? You sure?"

They're as useless as each other, and Yeojin can be heard giggling from the depths of the kitchen. To 'Ariel's' left, her friend (Lisa?) is grinning, turning on her heel to allow the client and server to converse in a more private setting. 

"Yes, I'm sure! I... I saw you from the gym, the first time I went, and I thought you were pretty. I... I really wanted to like, hold your hand. You look like you're good at holding hands." They're both matching shades of coral, "So I started buying McDonalds everytime I went to the gym, just to see you. Your name is super pretty, too, I admired it on your name badge. In a not weird way. Jinsoul... It's cool, I think it suits you." 'Ariel' fiddles with the fabric of her oversized shirt, and Jinsoul responds; speaking on only a single inhalation "Please take my number and  _please_ tell me your name I've been calling you Ariel this entire time and it's been  _four_ months and though you  _are_ pretty like a Disney princess we're  _Korean_ in  _Korea_ so Ariel probably isn't your name but please tell me I-" A giggle breaks across her words, and it's the most beautiful and melodic interruption she could've hoped for. "Chaeyoung. It's Chaeyoung.  _Ariel_ , huh?" A grin - a smirk - is present upon the woman's face, and perhaps now, Jinsoul is ready to accept that she's kind of smitten - for Chaeyoung is beautiful, even with that sly beam present across the pink curve of her lips (that Jinsoul wants to kiss really, really bad).

(She waits until the second date to do so, though. And kissing Chaeyoung is wonderful - she's cold yet her lips seem to light a fire between them. Chaeyoung does that; sets Jinsoul aflame with all she does. It's transfixing; beautiful.)

(They hold hands on the first date, though. And the second. And the third. And so on. It's wonderful.)

(Chaeyoung is wonderful, and Jinsoul is utterly hers.)


End file.
